Tom Tom or Garmin

[BarTopDancer]

I actually am in the market for a GPS.

So far I can't tell a significant difference between Tom Tom and Garmin.

Which do you like better and why?

The KITT one would be amazing, but if that brand generally sucks... then I'll have to get the nonsucky and non KITT GPS.

[mousepod]

I lovelovelove my Garmin nuvi 660. It's easy to use. It gets me where I need to go. Has a live traffic option (I've found it to be extremely valuable in SoCal). Has built-in bluetooth. Many voices (I use Lee from Australia). Very simple to update via USB.

[Stan4dSteph]

I bought a TomTom preloaded with Europe maps. I get very good coverage here, and have few complaints. The version I purchased (TomTom One version 3) does not have the ability to upload routes, which I didn't know. It's a bit of a bummer since you can use the TomTom Home software to find routes made by other users, or create your own on the computer and upload them.

It was a good investment though, as driving in Europe can get really difficult in cities. I like that it is small enough that I can carry it to use for walking too, and you can tell it to choose a walking route to navigate around once you've ditched the car.

You can buy versions with traffic features, and also bluetooth capability and handsfree command use.

[Ghoulish Delight]

It's going to be a matter of personal preference. We got to try a couple different ones when traveling and renting cars from different companies and the Garmin was our favorite, though it was a Magellan that we were comparing to. There was nothing wrong with the Magellan, it just didn't announce the directions in a way that worked for me.

[Betty]

We have a Tom Tom and I just love it.

I would stay clear of Magellan.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

We found our Garmin's traffic to be slow to update as accidents happen. Google Maps on our phones is much more reliable, so we look at that instead. The Garmin traffic was free for a short period but once that was over we let it expire. As a result, the arrival times are always wrong, which I personally find annoying.

Also, I find myself hunting for the right menus a lot. I still haven't gotten the full knack of it, but we don't use it a lot. I was surprised to find out it doesn't let you enter coordinates (I don't geocache so it's not a big deal).

The funny thing is that we tried this one out before purchasing it via a rental car and I loved it then. You can search for local businesses (this took some learning too, but it works well). The voice is clear, the maps are very good, and if you know where you're going and you type it in, it will get you there. For the basics it does a fine job.

[BarTopDancer]

Thanks!

Bluetooth would be handy. I have a bluetooth for my ear.. but...

I want KITT. Does NM have KITT (you were paging him...)

[Ghoulish Delight]

Oh crap, that's right, ours has blue tooth. I forgot about that. Hmmmmm.

[Betty]

Our Tom Tom also has forest service roads on it which makes it nice for finding out where, exactly, we are when off roading. Not all of them though.

It does allow you to enter GPS coordinates though - although we haven't geochached with it.

[Morrigoon]

I have a TomTom. I like it overall, but I have found that it doesn't always choose the best routes (see my "road of suck" post in the camp swank thread). I end up having to augment it with a Thomas Guide.

[BarTopDancer]

OK, so it looks like either Tom Tom or Garmin are the way to go. Avoid Magellen.

Does traffic cost extra on all of them?

[Morrigoon]

Traffic is extra on TomTom, I know that.

One bright spot is that user-created voices are free (I now have Kitt and Darth Vader, thanks to Lash)

[Ghoulish Delight]

Yes, traffic is a subscription service on all of them.

Make sure you get it somewhere with a good return policy. You won't know how well you like it until you're actually in the car trying to follow its directions.

[BarTopDancer]

Thanks everyone!

[Not Afraid]

I think you should get the Tom Tom so you could sing this all day long:

What you gonna do when you get out of jail?
I'm gonna have some fun
What do you consider fun?
Fun, natural fun

I'm in heaven
With my boyfriend, my laughing boyfriend
There's no beginning and there is no end
Time isn't present in that dimention
He'll take my arm
When we're walkin', rolling and rocking
It's one time I'm glad I'm not a man
Feels like I'm dreaming, but I'm not sleeping

I'm in heaven
With the maven of funk mutation
Clinton's musicians such as Bootsy Collins
Raise expectations to a new intention
No one can sing
Quite like Smokey, Smokey Robinson
Wailin' and shakin' to Bob Marley
Reggae's expanding with Sly and Robbie

All the weekend
Boyfriend was missing
I surely miss him
The way he'd hold me in his warm arms
We went insane when we took cocaine.

Stepping in a rhythm to a Kurtis Blow
Who needs to think when your feet just go
With a hiditihi and a hipitiho
Who needs to think when your feet just go ...Bohannon Bohannon Bohannon Bohannon
Who needs to think when your feet just go ...Bohannon Bohannon Bohannon Bohannon
James Brown, James Brown
James Brown, James Brown

If you see him
Please remind him, unhappy boyfriend
Well he's the genius of love
He's got a greater depth of feeling
Well he's the genius of love
He's so deep.

[Morrigoon]

Huh?

[lashbear]

I love my Tom Tom (tom tom 0ne, Version 3) and if you ever needed a map of Australia.......

[blueerica]

Huh?

Oh, go look up "Genius of Love"

I would be shocked if you hadn't heard the song. Absolutely shocked. You're from SoCal, right?

[Stan4dSteph]

I love my Tom Tom (tom tom 0ne, Version 3) and if you ever needed a map of Australia.......That's what I have! :D What voice do you use? I'm partial to the men with accents (Irish in particular).